1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the reproduction of error encoded, digitally recorded signals.
2. Description of Related Art
Recorder/reproducer devices are known for digitally recording and reproducing digital signals, such as digital video signals or such as digital audio signals of e.g. the DAT type. In such systems, measures for error protection in the form of error codes are introduced into the data transmission in order to determine and correct multiple and random errors during playback. Multiple errors are created, for example, by dropouts in the tape, dust, dirt, scratches or dirty magnetic heads. Random errors may be created by crosstalk from adjacent tracks, incompletely deleted data from prior recording, or by instabilities in the transport mechanism. Such kind of errors are recognized in a conventional manner and corrected by playback processing circuitry so that the errors do not introduce audible noise.
Normally, the user of the recording device is unaware of the severity of the defects. Thus, it is difficult to judge the quality of the recorded material or of the reproducing heads or notice faults in the drive system. As a result, the user may not generate a backup copy of the recording or perform needed repairs.